Before the Scars
by wordstomyears
Summary: Prequel to Old Scars. Before the rise of Kylo Ren and the First Order, there came a time when Luke Skywalker found an ally in his mission to end the Empire. Caddesca Racca, a young Mirialan slave girl who is strong with the force, is about to change his destiny forever and bring adventures Luke can only hope to be prepared for.
1. Promises

**A/N: Ah, the prequel to my fic Old Scars is finally out! We start out story in the third film of the original trilogy and then we will keep on going right with young Avry and Kylo Ren. I recently saw Rogue One which inspired me to get the first chapter of this fic out as soon as I possibly could. Although it took a little time to get out because I went away for Christmas but now that it's a new year, I thought it's about time to get it out. I'd like to also dedicate this chapter to the recent passing of Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds, which greatly saddened me that we have to end the year that way.**

 **Anyways... the wait is over! Please enjoy! We begin our story a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...**

* * *

She hated dreaming.

Never in her life did she intend to. In fact, when she was a young girl it was encouraged. Her mother always told her to dream of the stars... always. For the what felt like the longest time, she did. She dreamed of the stars and their endless possibilities. She saw hope when she looked up at the sky at night, and she thought to herself that she was safe as long as she could see them.

But stars offered her less safety when the comfort of her mother's arms was a memory that laid shattered at her feet every time she went to bed at night. And at times it seemed like it was too dark to see the stars outside the window.

Dreaming for her now was bitter. She didn't like to dream because dreaming led to hope and she lived a life where there was no hope for anything better. Yet still at night when she closed her eyes, when it was all quiet and her heart seemed at peace, her mind let itself dream. This night she dreamed of a child. Not herself, but a pale crying baby wrapped in a green blanket. A human child. It cried so loudly and reached its hands out to her... as if it were pleading.

The sounds of it crying was what woke her. They seemed to echo against the walls, which made her heart skip a beat when she couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Although she was convinced it was dream, it sounded so real that she felt it was happening in person. She tried to stand up to investigate but barely made it past a few steps when the chain on her feet stopped her.

She frowned when she realized she would never be able to follow the sounds she heard. She plopped back down, her fingers curling around the chains attached to the metal cuffs around her ankles. She pulled on the chains but they were bolted into the wall, offering her no hope of freedom. She continued to struggle against the restraints, clattering her chains until she woke up the person besides her.

"Caddesca?"

Her eyes shifted from her chains at the sound of her name, and she turned her head to look down at the green Twi'lek who slept besides her. They shared the room unfortunately and Caddesca had the awful habit of waking up the other green alien. It was completely unfair to her that she was forced to put up with an alien as restless as Caddesca.

"I'm sorry, Oola." Caddesca apologized, feeling guilty as her eyes returned to her hands. They were still wrapped around her chains so she let go and then saw the dirt from the chains had rubbed on her green skin. She looked back over to the other slave girl who now seemed wide awake.

She couldn't help but be curious about what woke herself up. "Did you hear anything, Oola? Like... like a baby crying? I thought I was dreaming but I swear I could've heard it like it was right here–" Caddesca began but Oola simply shook her head and moved to sit up. "I didn't hear anything. You could be imagining things." She suggested. Caddesca shook her head at that. "No. I wouldn't do that. It just– it sounded so real. I thought it might be." She admitted.

Oola smiled small,"Is that why you were trying to get out?" She asked gently. Caddesca frowned as she looked at her chains. "Yes... but it was stupid of me to try. It's not like I'm getting out of here." Caddesca pointed out. Oola nodded her head, studying Caddesca. "You could you know... I know I haven't been here as long as you have, but you are braver than I am. You're stronger." Oola remarked.

While Caddesca did smile at the compliment, she reached over and put her own hand on top of Oola's. "You're strong too and I promise that you'll never have to face anything in this place alone. Okay? That's a promise." Caddesca vowed, which was enough to set Oola at ease. Caddesca knew that Oola had to be taken care of. Oola hadn't grown up as a slave like Caddesca had. She had known a life of freedom and then all of a sudden it had been ripped away from her when she was drugged and kidnapped one night. Caddesca remembered when Oola woke up crying at the horror of her new life. Meanwhile Caddesca was completely conscious when she was sold into slavery.

The two girls froze at the sound of approaching footsteps. It was always dark in the cell but they could tell the sun had come up by the light that had poured in from the cell's skylight, which meant it was a start to another day. Caddesca moved closer to Oola and gently touched the girl's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm right here and when they come you mustn't cry again. They'll just whip you again and you don't want anymore scars." Caddesca told her. Oola nodded her head and tried to keep a brave face when the guards came in. They carried their chains in their hands, ready to put around the necks of Caddesca and Oola.

Caddesca could tell Oola was trying not to cry as they put the collar around her neck. She still hadn't gotten used to it even though it had been just a bit over a year that she had been here. Oola did a better job this morning of not saying a word and Caddesca watched as one of the guards dragged Oola away first. She had more to offer than Caddesca did anyways, which meant she was always the first to leave the cell. A trained dancer that Jabba loved to watch. Caddesca didn't have any talents such as that and was forced into simply serving the many crowds of thieves and pirates Jabba entertained.

She remained still as the remaining guard put the collar around her neck, and unlocked the shackles on her ankles. She was pulled onto her feet by her chain and then pushed out of her cell. Out for another day of work.

* * *

No amount of true hate could possibly capture how much she hated this.

Caddesca hated forcing a smile onto her face and going around the place handing drinks to any pirate, thief, or bounty hunter in the room. A guard was on her all of the time, pulling her chain whenever she misbehaved. She went around and served all of the patrons in Jabba's throne room. The most notorious guest that had taken up stay in Jabba's Palace was Boba Fett, who seemed to impress any female alien in sight with his Mandalorian armor and silent demeanor, but Caddesca was hardly moved by this. She served the bounty hunter with a drink, forcing the typical smile on her face before turning away.

Music filled the air of the room, but it wasn't what was capturing everybody's attention. Oola danced in the middle, entrancing the grotesque crime lord with her movements. Caddesca often felt bittersweet when she saw Oola danced. For she knew while the slave girl loved dancing, that it was wasted by being satisfaction for a slimy creature like Jabba.

When the music ended, Caddesca could see the exhaustion coming off from Oola at the other side of the room. But instead of letting her stop, Jabba demanded another song be played for Oola to dance to. The music started up again and Caddesca had to watch as her friend was dragged back into dancing. The exhaustion was hitting Oola hard but luckily that didn't stop her dancing from being any less good. What stopped her dancing was Jabba himself.

A small tug on the slave girl's chain was enough to stop her completely. " _Da Eitha_!" Jabba's cry was enough to gain Caddesca's attention. She lowered the empty tray in her hand, turning to watch like the rest of the throne room was doing. Oola would typically obey at this point and go to sit with her master.

But this time she didn't.

Oola shook her head which immediately angered the Hutt. Jabba tugged on her chain but Oola just grabbed a hold of her chain and tried to fight him on this. It seemed like after all this time she wasn't going to take it anymore. " _Na Chuba negatorie Na! Na! Natoota_..." She began, trying to convince him to let her go. Jabba was growing tired of the slave's pleas and began ignoring her until his patience finally wore thin.

" _Boscka_!"

Caddesca's heart dropped when the trap door opened, and Oola screamed as Jabba let go of her chain and she fell through the floor to the monster below. "Oola!" She called but before she could even take a few runs, the guard in charge of her chain pulled her back so roughly that her feet escaped from underneath her. Caddesca screamed as she fell to the ground and was dragged out of the throne room. The tray she was carrying clattered to the ground and everyone watched as she was yanked away. The metal cuff around her neck was practically choking her, so she reached up to hold her chain in attempt to ease the pull.

She wanted to speak but the collar around her neck was too tight for her to get any word out. All Caddesca could do was cry when the cries of Oola reached her ears. It was almost like she felt the girl's pain as she knew Oola was being eaten by that monster, and it was so intense that Caddesca passed out when she was being dragged off to her cell.

* * *

It wasn't the first time Jabba lost his temper and got rid of a slave. Caddesca tried to remember then when she woke up. She had been around that place long enough to see them arrive and never leave the place alive. The only reason that she had managed to survive this long was due to the fact she never got too close to Jabba in order to anger him. But now with her little outburst she felt like that had changed. She had been put back in her cell but she knew that wouldn't last long. They could always go out and buy more slaves. It wasn't like her life mattered.

The slave rolled over, her eyes widening when she noticed she was being watched. Caddesca yelped, backing up against the cold wall at the sight of an unfamiliar person in her cell. They usually never replaced another slave this quickly. Usually Caddesca spent some time alone in the cell before they brought another girl in but not this time. The human sitting across from her raised her hands, trying to show she meant no harm. Caddesca calmed down a little when she realized that the human wasn't trying to attack her.

"Why were you watching me?" Caddesca questioned her. The woman lowered her hands and let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, it's just... you looked dead. I mean– you barely moved in your sleep. You were already asleep when I came in and here I was thinking that they put me in a cell with a dead body but then suddenly your moved and– look, all you need to know is my name's Leia–" "I don't want to know your name." Caddesca cut her off.

Leia furrowed her brows, studying the alien quietly. The princess began to put a name to her race: Mirialan. The slave had been terribly frightened when she had woken up, but now her eyes were beginning to lose their fear and instead it was replaced with grief. "I'm not interested in making any more friends with the new slaves that come in here. There's only one way out for us: death. And I'm going to get out of here." Caddesca explained.

" _Hey_ , I am not a slave. They can try to turn me into one by dressing me like it but I am not a slave." Leia clarified firmly. She wouldn't let herself dig a grave like this girl seemed to be doing. "I have a friend who won't leave this place without me. I can convince him to take you with us when we escape this place." The princess began to suggest, but Caddesca hardly reacted with relief. "Escape?" Caddesca raised a brow and shook her head with a bitter laugh. "Your friend is going to die here." Caddesca finished.

The princess frowned, reaching over to grab the slave by her shoulders. Caddesca was surprised by this action and looked up to meet Leia's eyes. "You can't just sit here and feel sorry for yourself. I promise you that I am getting out of here and if you want to get out of here too I promise that I will help you. Alive, okay? You shouldn't throw your life away because of that slug." Leia said, cringing at the thought of Jabba the Hutt.

Caddesca moved away gently from the girl's grip but nodded her head. "Okay." She whispered. "But you should know that I am tired of promises." Caddesca admitted with a heavy sigh. Leia frowned as she studied the alien, but she could tell that there was nothing to say to convince Caddesca otherwise. She had seen other people carry heavy burdens from the past and no matter what she said she could never seem to offer enough hope to make them lighter. Leia just hoped that the difference she could make would make it easier to deal with those burdens.

"I'm Caddesca." Caddesca piped up, realizing she hadn't introduced herself yet while Leia had. Leia nodded her head,"It's nice to meet you." Leia told her, this time offering her a small smile.

The moment didn't last long as the sound of footsteps interrupted them from speaking any further. Leia's eyes went wide as she was completely unfamiliar with this procedure. They had just thrown her into this cell last night after her attempt to rescue Han went wrong.

Leia then looked to Caddesca, hoping for any warnings the alien could offer her. "Don't cry, fight, or speak. They hate it when you do that and the guards carry weapons so they won't hesitate to hurt you." Caddesca informed her. Leia looked over Caddesca,"They hurt you?" She asked, her brown eyes filling with concern not only for herself but for the other girl.

Caddesca nodded her head,"Yes, but it's okay for now. I haven't done anything in awhile, so much of them are just... _old scars_."

The guards opened up the cell door, interrupting them. They went and get Leia first, putting her in a collar that matched the clothes she gave her, mostly because Jabba forbid that any of his slaves be not color-coordinated when he sat them next to him. She could tell even if Leia put up a brave attitude that she was afraid when she was dragged off. Leia wore the same looks all the others had worn when they were first forced to do this. Caddesca felt sorry for herself when she realized that she no longer had that look and had accepted the treatment she was given.

She squirmed this time when they put her collar on this time, feeling it was tighter than usual. A guard looked at her through his mask, scowling at her. "One more outburst and you might just join your friend." The guard warned her which made her heart skip a beat. Caddesca didn't want to suffer the same fate as Oola though she knew that was rather inevitable in her case.

Returning to the throne room wasn't as easy as she thought. Caddesca often bounced back after the deaths of her cellmates but going back to the room where she last saw Oola wasn't the same. She kept looking to the middle of the room expecting the girl to be still dancing there. Instead she only saw Leia's pained expression as the human sat by Jabba's side. Caddesca tried to serve but moved slower than she did the day before.

Her actions gained the attention of the guard watching her, as halfway through her serving someone she was pulled away. The drink pilled itself all over the pirate she was serving, angering the pirate. She was spared of any abuse that might have been thrown back to her when she was dragged back to the guard. "What?" Caddesca questioned, a little annoyed at her neck being pulled.

Instead of being answered, Caddesca only saw the tip of a blade being forwarded to her. It gently touched her bare stomach and she blinked in fear at the sight of it. "If you can no longer serve than there's only one place for you. Go." The guard told her, his eyes moving over to the trap door that was placed in the middle of the throne room. Caddesca knew she couldn't fight with a blade held so close to her and just backed up slowly in the direction of the trap door.

She hung her head long as she was escorted by the guard in front of Jabba. The Hutt was sleeping, with Leia resting in chains by his side. Her eyes immediately caught Caddesca's, who was pushed down by the guard in a kneeling position. He held onto her chain and pointed his weapon at her back, making Caddesca too afraid to even lift up her head to look at Leia who was eying her with concern.

Leia was suddenly distracted when she recognized a certain voice. She turned her head to notice Luke entering the throne room, led in by one of Jabba's advisors. She wanted to smile at the sight of her friend but couldn't help but be nervous at what the outcome of him coming here might be. The plan hadn't worked out the way they thought it would, which meant anything could happen at this point.

Bib leaned over to Jabba, introducing the hooded figure. "Luke Skywalker... jedi knight." Caddesca looked up at Bib's words and her jaw dropped a little. The guests that Jabba entertained here were big on gossip, so even a slave girl who had been locked away for most of her life had heard of Luke Skywalker. He had grown up on Tatooine as well, which gained him some popularity around this parts. Her eyes shifted a little to the hooded figure who stood not too far away from her and she wondered if that was the jedi everyone had been talking about.

Jabba frowned at Bib's words, opening his eyes and looking at. He spoke out in protest in his native tongue, but Luke seemed to ignore this. "I must be allowed to speak." He looked to Bib and Caddesca found herself confused when she heard Bib repeating Luke's words. Jabba was furious and shoved Bib away from him. "You weak-minded fool!" Jabba yelled in Huttese. "He's using an old jedi mind trick." Jabba explained, looking to Luke.

"You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me." Luke attempted to use his powers again but they didn't seem to work on the Hutt. He removed the hood of his cloak, and Caddesca tried to lean her head forward to get a peek of the jedi. Jabba answered him rudely, which made Luke frown. He tried to keep his calm but he didn't like seeing Leia in chains. "Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can either profit by this... or be destroyed. It's your choice. But I warn you not to underestimate my powers." The jedi warned only to be met with Jabba's laugh.

C-3PO suddenly realized where Luke was standing. "Master Luke, you're standing on–" The droid tried to get out his warning but Jabba interupted him. Luke realized that bargaining with the crime lord might not be the best option and reached his hand out. A blaster from a guard's holster flied out and into Luke's hand which alerted the guard who had his eye on Caddesca prior to this. The guard grabbed Luke's arm and pushed it away, sending a blast off in the ceiling.

" _Boscka_!" Jabba yelled, pressing the button to the trap door. Caddesca tried to get back onto her feet but screamed as she was sent down the hole along with the hapless guard and Luke Skywalker.

Everything was blur on the way down, as the only thing Caddesca was sure of was the cold feel of the collar around her neck. She then hit the ground roughly and let out a cry. Luke got up onto his feet, throwing off his cloak. It was the first time since he had registered Caddesca's presence. His blue eyes fell on the slave girl and he immediately dropped down to his knees by her side. Luke noticed she had hit her head on the way down, and some blood trickled down her face. He recognized her garments and quickly clued in that she was a slave girl.

Caddesca opened her eyes to see Luke's face quite close to her. He was touching her head gently, his fingers dabbing her dark green blood. "Are you hurt?" The jedi softly asked as he brushed away her hair to access how badly the bump on her head was. Caddesca was a little disoriented by the fall. "What?" She questioned, tilting her head up as she tried to adjust herself on the ground. Luke looked away for a moment, reaching over for the black cloak he had discarded.

She wasn't exactly dressed modestly, which wasn't something Luke was used to. He used his cloak to cover up her body so he wouldn't be distracted and then finally moved away from touching her so she could regain her sense of mind. Caddesca blinked a couple of times before the sounds of creaking steered both of their attentions away from each other. Luke stared at a door being raised and frowned when he didn't sense anything good.

"What does Jabba keep down here?" Luke quickly asked, looking back at Caddesca to see she was clutching onto Luke's cloak very tightly. He didn't seem encourage by the lack of words coming out of her mouth and watched as something moved in the shadows behind the doors. "Well, I have a bad feeling about this."


	2. Free Again

**A/N: It has been a while since I've updated this story but that does not mean I've given up on it. I'm been having some writer's block whenever it came to updating most of my stories but this one especially. Finally, since seeing The Last Jedi, my creativity has been restored. Enjoy this new chapter.  
**

 **And for the readers who are fans of Old Scars, fear not! The sequel/continuation is on its way! (Maybe this holiday season... I'm not sure... but... SOON)**

* * *

"Oh, no! The Rancor!" C-3PO shouted, looking down through the grates. Luke heard the droid's cry from up above and he looked at the monster as it slowly emerged from the shadows. He suddenly realized why the slave girl was frozen in fear. The Rancor would kill them all easily. Luke took a few steps back, unsure of how to react.

He couldn't do nothing. He had to save them.

The unfortunate guard caught down here with them squealed and tried to flee, scrambling to find an exit but failing to do so. The monster took notice of the guard's cries and headed in his direction opposed to Luke and Caddesca's. It reached out, taking the squealing creature into its hand and devouring the guard in its mouth.

Luke was calm as he backed up slowly. He looked over at the slave girl, who was still curled up in fear. He looked back to the monster and reached his hand out behind him. "Take my hand." Luke instructed in a hushed voice. Caddesca looked up at him with tears in her eyes, furrowing her brows. When he didn't feel her take his hand, Luke turned his head back towards her.

"I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you." He assured her. She met his eyes,"Who's going to rescue you?" She asked, surprising him. The girl did manage to reach up her hand and take his. Luke helped her up just as the crowd above them cheered as the guard was fully consumed by the Rancor. The monster turned its head, starting for Luke and Caddesca.

She squeezed his hand, certain this was the end for them. Caddesca couldn't help thinking that she didn't want to end up like Oola. Luke was quick on his feet, however, reaching for a large bone presumably left from another one of the monster's victims. He turned back to face the Rancor but the monster just reached out and grabbed him. "Luke!" Caddesca shouted as their hands slipped apart. Luke was lifted into the air, struggling against the monster's grip.

He prepared none the less as the Rancor raised him up to its mouth. Luke held the bone out, sticking it straight into the monster's mouth. The Rancor cried out, dropping Luke from its hand. Caddesca was quick to catch the jedi, surprising Luke once more as he fell back on her. "Thank you." He quickly remarked, looking into her eyes.

The Rancor managed to close its mouth, snapping the large bone in half.

"We have to hide!" Caddesca shouted and dragged Luke into a crevasse within the room. The two hid from the Rancor's reach but that didn't stop it from approaching. It reached out its hands, trying to catch them in the crevasse. Luke grabbed a rock, grunting as he pounded it down on the monster's finger. When the Rancor cried out in pain, he saw his shot at escape. "Now!" Luke yelled and Caddesca didn't have to be told twice.

Both of them made a run for it, past the Rancor towards the door. Luke opened it just for the door to slide open and reveal a cage. He struggled against the bars. The Rancor roared as it approached the two. Luke looked back at the creature, realizing what he had to do. "We have to kill it." Luke said.

Caddesca looked at him,"But how?" She asked helplessly. His eyes searched the room before he found it. He picked up a skull, throwing it towards a switch. Once the skull made the necessary impact on the switch, the door that had revealed the Rancor came lowering down, crushing the monster beneath it. The light from the monster's eyes slowly dimmed as it died and a hush fell across the crowd above them. No one had ever done that before. No one had ever killed the Rancor.

She was the first to realize what they had done. "Now we're definitely going to die." She whispered, worrying Luke.

The caged door flew open as the monster's keepers filed into the room. They stared at the dead Rancor, weeping over the loss of the beloved monster. Luke felt pity but reminded himself that he could've been somebody's meal and the guilt washed away. He looked to Caddesca, hoping she could help. "What's going to happen now–" He asked, guessing it was worse than the Rancor. She looked at him, opening up her mouth to tell him just as the guards arrived to collect them.

* * *

"Han!"

"Luke!"

Friends were reunited once they were back in Jabba's throne room. Luke was dragged up the stairs by guards as Han was pushed in another entrance by others. "Are you alright?" The boy wondered as the man was pushed forward. "Fine. Together again, huh?" Han asked. "Wouldn't miss it." Luke smiled partially. "How are we doing?" Han questioned. Luke looked around at their current situation,"The same as always." He informed cooly.

"That bad, huh?" Han said. The man blinked,"Where's Leia?" Han asked, still affected by his post-carbonite blindness. Luke looked at Leia. "I'm here." Leia announced so Han knew where she was. She caught sight of Caddesca behind the two men and her eyes showed concern. Luke recognized the look in Leia's eyes, turning his head back at Caddesca, realizing the two had met.

C-3PO stood by Jabba as the hutt spoke."Oh, dear..." The droid mumbled before taking a step forward to translate,"His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately." C-3PO told them. Han faced Jabba,"Good, I hate long waits." The smuggler deadpanned. "You will, therefore, be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc." The droid continued. Han looked at C-3PO,"Doesn't sound so bad." He commented. "In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly digested over a thousand years." Chewie cried out in complain as soon as C-3PO finished.

"On second thought, let's pass on that, huh?" Han said casually. Luke looked at the crime lord,"You should have bargained, Jabba." The jedi warned as he was interrupted by Jabba. The hutt ordered for all of them to be taken away. "That's the last mistake you'll ever make!" Luke promised, knowing that he had some tricks up his sleeve. He was not going down like this.

* * *

There wasn't much on Tatooine. Just sand.

It wasn't the prettiest site for an execution but Caddesca couldn't imagine there was a standard. She found it hard to believe that she was facing execution twice in one day. She had been a slave in Jabba's palace for years and never caused a scene. She knew better. But now she was facing not only a painful death but one with an unbelievable amount of suffering.

Jabba's large sail barge glided across the desert surface while two smaller skiffs glided next to it. Caddesca stood on one of the skiffs, surrounded by guards. She looked at the faces of Luke, Han, and Chewbacca. They were all unworried by their certain execution and she couldn't understand why. Maybe being a rebel just made one used to situations of a similiar nature. She couldn't see herself living that kind of life.

But then again... maybe she could.

Han looked around,"I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur." He sighed. Luke looked over at him,"There's nothing to see. I used to live here, you know." He informed him. Han looked towards Luke and made a face,"You're gonna die here, you know. Convenient." Han said sarcastically. The boy rolled his eyes,"Just stick close to Chewie and Lando. I've taken care of everything." Luke instructed.

"Oh... great!" Han said with even more sarcasm, which wasn't very assuring to Caddesca. Luke looked behind him, sensing her worry. "It'll be okay." Luke assured her. Han noticed the shift in Luke's voice, turning his head in the direction of Caddesca. "Who's there?" Han asked, seeing something vaguely green in his blurry vision. Chewie uttered an explanation and Han couldn't help but smirk at Luke.

Luke narrowed his eyes at the older man. "What? What?" He asked quietly, wondering what Han was thinking. "Nothing. Nothing." Han told Luke in a whisper. Luke frowned at the smuggler,"You're definitely thinking something." He stated. Han shrugged his shoulders innocently. "Maybe. But don't use any of those weird jedi tricks you have– they won't work on me." Han decided. Luke leaned over,"Tell me." He urged quietly.

But Han just shook his head with a smirk. "See, I told you–" "Tell me." Luke tried again, this time concentrating on Han. Before Han knew what he was doing, the words came out of his mouth. "I'll see if she's pretty later, but it definitely sounds like you already think she is." Han blinked in confusion and Luke blushed a little, wishing he never used that power on Han. He looked back at Caddesca in order to see if she had heard them, but luckily Luke saw no signs of it on her face.

Once they arrived at the pit of Carkoon, C-3PO translated Jabba to the prisoners. "Victims of the almighty Sarlacc, His Excellency hopes that you will die honorably. But should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas." The droid announced. "3PO, you tell that slimy piece of... worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us." Han shouted, looking at his companions.

"Right?" He asked and Chewie growled in agreement. Luke took a step forward,"Jabba! This is your last chance. Free us or die." He told him. Jabba laughed at the jedi's warning and ordered for Luke to be executed. A guard pushed Luke forward but Luke only looked at Lando, who was disguised as a guard, and the two shared a nod. Luke looked up at R2D2 and saluted to the droid.

As Jabba called for Luke to be pushed in, he took the step himself and jumped from the plank. He spun around however and grabbed the end of the plank with his fingertips. He used the plank to catapult himself into the air and he flipped back onto the skiff. Luke extended his hand and caught his lightsaber right after R2D2 launched it towards him. He switched it on, staring at the green saber before launching into an attack on the rest of the guards. Lando helped in attacking the other guards, launching them off of the skiff into the pit.

"Easy, Chewie." Luke instructed as he helped get the cuffs off of the wookiee. At that moment, the deck gunmen unleashed a blast from a big cannon on the upper deck of Jabba's ship, tossing Lando and another guard overboard the skiff. Lando grabbed a rope but dangled helplessly above the Sarlacc pit. "Help!" Lando cried out and as soon as Luke removed Caddesca's restraints, she went to help the man.

Boba Fett had ignited his rocket pack and had flown from the barge down onto the skiff. He held up his gun and Luke turned around, swinging with his lightsaber, managing to slice the bounty hunter's blaster in two. Chewie and Han were thrown against the rail as the skiff rocked. "Chewie, are you okay? Where is he?" Han wondered as he reached out for the wookiee. Chewie howled, discovering he was wounded. Luke was distracted, and in that moment, Boba fired a cable out of his armored sleeve. Instantly, Luke was wrapped in a strong cable, his arms pinned against his side.

He managed to use his lightsaber to get free from the cable but the skiff took another hit from the barge's blaster. Boba Fett was knocked down as the skiff rocked again. Caddesca tried to help Lando up but wasn't strong enough. Lando looked up at the girl who was trying her best but decided to call in reinforcements.

"Han! Chewie!" Lando yelled, still dangling from a rope. "Lando!" Han exclaimed, looking around, still unable to see. Luke saw the other skiff that was coming towards them and leaped between the two skiffs onto the other ones. They couldn't handle taking fire from multiple ships. Luke looked amongst the guards, seeing the other person a part of their mission.

Maeve Tyree took of her guard's helmet, smiling brightly at Luke. "About time!" Maeve shouted, and Luke joined the rebel as they began fighting the other guards together. Caddesca looked up from the other skiff, noticing the redheaded rebel immediately.

Suddenly, she saw a flash of that baby she dreamed once again but Caddesca didn't know why.

Chewie barked directions to Han, guiding a spear towards him that used to belong to one of the guards. Han's eyes moved around the deck before he picked up the spear in both of his hands. Boba Fett was badly shaken but stood up and looked over at the other skiff, watching as Luke and another rebel fought off the other guards. Boba raised his arm and aimed just as Chewie yelled at Han.

"Boba Fett?! Boba Fett?! Where?" Han said, turning around in a rush. Even in his blindness, Han managed to whack the spear straight into the middle of Boba's rocket pack. It instantly ignited, sending the bounty hunter blasting off until Boba hit the barge and fell down onto the sand. Boba Fett slid down into the pit, grunting as he was consumed by the Sarlacc. It let out a burp and Chewie mumbled a weak congratulation to Han.

Han then reached over the side of the skiff, reaching out the spear. "Lando, grab it!" Han shouted, trying to help Caddesca in aiding Lando. The man who dangled wasn't impressed by Han's attempt, however. "Lower it!" Lando instructed. "I'm trying!" Han yelled back at the man.

Another major hit came from the barge that knocked the skiff right on its side. Han nearly fell overboard if Caddesca hadn't managed to grab onto the man's feet. "Whoa! Whoa! Help her, Chewie! I'm slipping." Han called as he dangled, while Lando had fallen down to the side of the Sarlacc pit. Chewie put his furry arms around Caddesca, helping her as she held onto Han, who lowered the spear towards Lando.

"Grab it... grab it, you almost got it!" Han encouraged his friend.

Luke looked around the empty skiff with Maeve before noticing the commotion on the barge. The large ship continued to take shots at the skiffs which was only causing problems for them. He looked over to Maeve. The other rebel looked at him, recognizing the look in the boy's eyes. "Luke, do not–" "I'm going to do it!" He took off running towards the large ship, ignoring her opinion, leaping off of the skiff onto the barge. Maeve shook her head at Luke before looking to the other skiff. "Han, do you need help?!" Maeve called.

Just as Lando was about to grab the spear, Han moved it out of reach again. "Maeve! Is that you?!" Han yelled. Lando grunted,"Yes, it's her! Lower the goddamn spear, Han!" He demanded and Han lowered the spear again. "Gently now... alright... now easy, easy. Hold me, guys." Han said right before Lando screamed. One of the Sarlacc's tentacles had wrapped itself tightly around his leg, dragging him into the pit.

"Chewie!" Han yelled, hearing his friend's distress. "Chewie, give me the gun. Don't move, Lando." Han instructed as Chewie handed one of the guard's blasters to Caddesca. She lowered it to Han, thinking it was a bad idea. Lando's eyes went wide,"No, wait! I thought you were blind!" He told Han. "It's alright. I can see a lot better. Don't move." Han said cooly as he aimed the blaster.

Lando's eyes were wide however as Han aimed at him. "A little higher, just a little higher!" He yelled at Han and the other man shot the tentacle. It let go of Lando, allowing the man to grab a hold of the spear. Once Han felt the weight of Lando on the spear, he raised his head a little. "Alright, pull us up!" Han shouted towards the two. Chewie and Caddesca helped the two men back onto the skiff, straightening the ship out.

It wasn't long before they were joined by Maeve, who had jumped from the other skiff onto the one they were on. The rebel looked at the four of them with a smile. Lando smiled back at Maeve,"Nice of you to join us right after we needed you." He told her. Maeve sent him a smirk, looking at Caddesca. "It looks to me like the slave girl was doing just fine. She looks like a real rebel to me." She commented.

"Whatever she looks like... thank you." Han said, attempting to face Caddesca but ended up just facing Chewie. The wookiee let out a response before redirecting his friend towards the green alien. Caddesca looked up at Han shyly,"It was no problem." She told him.

The fight was far from over, however.

Luke and Leia were still battling it out on Jabba's sail barge. Lucky for them, Leia was smart and strong enough to kill Jabba in order to get away from him. She helped Luke as they worked together to destroy the sail barge. "Come on!" Luke shouted, grabbing a hold of a rigging rope just as Leia finished aiming the deck's gun the mast. She looked back at him before joining him. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, kicking the trigger of the deck gun.

It fired just as they swung out to safety. The two landed on the skiff's deck, joining the others. "Let's go! And don't forget the droids." Luke let go of Leia, going to instruct Lando and Maeve. "We're on our way." Lando nodded at him, directing the skiff to go collect the droids in the sand who had jumped ship. They picked up C-3PO and R2D2 before leaving. The sail barge began to explode due to the blast Luke and Leia had directed at the ship.

As the sail exploded with nearly everyone from Jabba's palace on it, including Jabba himself, Caddesca couldn't help but stare in disbelief at the sight of it as they fled. The skiff made its way across the desert. Lando was heading back to where the Falcon and Luke's X-wing were parked. All of them were clear on where they were off to next but Caddesca didn't. She felt weird all of a sudden, not knowing why until it hit her.

She was free. She realized she was feeling weird because she was finally free.

Leia caught onto this, approaching the girl. "Are you okay?" Leia asked gently. Caddesca nodded her head, gripping onto Luke's cloak which she was still wearing. "Yeah... it's just... you promised me I would get out of there alive... but... I didn't believe you then." Caddesca confessed. Leia smiled small,"I sure hope you believe me now." The girl told her. Caddesca nodded her head gently as she looked across the sea of endless dunes.

Caddesca looked at the suns on the horizon, feeling differently inside. "I guess I never thought that I would be free again." She admitted. Leia studied the girl's expression,"You were free once?" She asked. Caddesca nodded her head, resting her elbows on the rail, eying the horizon. "I wasn't born a slave. Maybe it would've been worse for me if I had... maybe it would've been easier." Caddesca said.

"All I know is... I have a family. Out there. I have a home. I was taken away from that home and I was sold into slavery, into this life. I have tried to mantain hope as I desperately dreamed of... stars... of home. I have lost hope and held onto it. When I met you, I thought I had lost it for good... but no one ever truly loses hope, do they? As long as they believe..." She trailed off, looking back to see that Leia wasn't the only one paying attention to her.

The group all smiled at her fondly. "Well put." Han told her with a nod. Luke met her eyes and she stared at him. It looked like the two were going to say something to each other, but Maeve cut them off. "That's what I like to believe too." Maeve told Caddesca with a grin. She smiled at the redheaded woman. "Are you all a part of the Rebel Alliance?" Caddesca couldn't help but wonder. Luke nodded his head, looking to Lando. "All of us are." He confirmed.

She looked at all of them with wonder in her eyes. Rebels. She had only ever dreamed of meeting legendary heroes like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. She had heard tales of how they defeated the Empire and its Death Star. She always held out hope that one day someone like them would come and free her from Jabba's palace but never imagined they would actually be there.

"You're free to come with us. We can help you find your family." Maeve told Caddesca, putting a hand on her soldier. "But who knows... maybe you'll want to join the rebellion." She suggested. The others gave her a look, knowing she was constantly on the recruit. "What? She might." Maeve defended her own words but Caddesca found herself smiling at the idea.

A rebel. Who knows? Maybe part of her did actually... want to.

* * *

The Millennium Falcon looked like a big piece of space junk to most who encountered it, especially Luke when he first laid his eyes on it. But Caddesca stared up at the smuggler's ship with wonder. She saw her freedom on that ship, knowing a new life awaited her. Leia was the first one to board, wanting desperately to change out of the slave clothes she had been forced in. Han partially regained his vision but it still only partial. He did manage to catch a glimpse of Leia's attire before she disappeared into the Falcon, but the princess was quick to brush him off before he had the pleasure of seeing her dressed like that.

Caddesca stood still as the others followed her onto the ship. She couldn't bring herself to move her feet, however. While the others promised freedom and home, she couldn't help but be scared of something she hadn't had in so long. Caddesca turned back, bumping into Luke. "Oh!" She exclaimed, stumbling back. "Sorry." Caddesca said meekly.

Luke smiled at her gently,"It's okay." He told her sincerely. "I understand." He mentioned but Caddesca couldn't see how he possibly could. She blinked, realizing she was still wearing his cloak. The girl removed it from her shoulders and held it out to him. "You'll probably need this." She guessed, looking at the boy's rebel ship. She recognized it as the one Luke Skywalker used to defeat the Empire when it came to delivering the shot that blew up the Death Star.

He shrugged her off, pushing her hand back gently. "You keep it. You'll probably need it more than me." Luke said with a light chuckle. She smiled and took the cloak back, hugging it close to her chest. It had been a long time since anyone had given her something she wanted. "Thank you." She told him. He smiled back at her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Maeve appeared behind them, touching Caddesca's other shoulder. "We're missing you on the ship." She told Caddesca.

Something happened when Maeve touched Caddesca's shoulder. The girl froze and Luke sensed why. She had seen something but Luke didn't know what. He let go of Caddesca,"I– I should leave you to it." He was nervous as the words left his mouth, only because he felt a presence he wasn't used to. He always felt it with Leia but never anyone else before.

There was a sensitivity to Caddesca and it wasn't only in the girl's personality.

"Will I see you again?" Caddesca asked her. Luke nodded his head at her,"Of course. It's only the beginning." He promised, heading towards his ship with R2. Luke watched as the girl left with Maeve, wondering what she had sensed when it came to Maeve. He hoped it didn't have anything to do with death but the woman was a rebel after all. Luke had lost many friends over the years to know it wasn't unusual for rebels to die for what they believed in.

If only this war could end.


	3. An Agreement

_All of it was slowly coming into focus for her._

 _The glow of a green lightsaber._

 _The wind gently moving between blades of grass._

 _The sun setting at the end of the day._

 _She sensed something... a force that connected her to all of this. But Caddesca didn't understand what it was yet._

 _Small pale hands reached out to her. A young redheaded girl. Her eyes were closed._

 _"I can feel it." She whispered._

 _"Feel what?" Caddesca asked her._

 _"The force." She smiled genuinely._

 _Her blue eyes flew open suddenly and settled on Caddesca. "Did I do it?" She said, shifting her gaze to what was around her. Caddesca shifted her eyes as well, her eyes taking in the sight before her._

 _It was magical. Something she had never seen before. The dew that had collected on the blades of grass were suspended in the middle of the air. She didn't need to understand what was the cause._

 _It was her._

 _It was the force._

* * *

Caddesca felt like she was being shaken awake but there was no one there. She blinked, sitting up slowly, trying to make sense of what she had dreamed. It felt so real, almost like it happened in the past, but Caddesca knew for sure that it didn't. She couldn't make sense of how it familiar all of it seemed and she shook her head.

Her thoughts moved to Luke, knowing him to be a jedi. She wondered if he could make sense of all of this to her but she didn't know how to talk to him about it. He was Luke Skywalker. She used to be a slave girl. She couldn't imagine that she was important to a growing legend amongst the galaxy.

But she remembered what he said to her.

It's only the beginning.

She removed Luke's cloak, having used it as a blanket, looking around the ship. While they had reached the rebel fleet hours ago, Han let her stay behind to rest. It wasn't like she had anywhere else at the moment to stay. She got on her feet slowly, feeling lightheaded. Caddesca let out a breath, feeling nervous as she went to exit the ship.

"There she is." Maeve moved past Han, ignoring what the smuggler had asked her. The redhead approached Caddesca, giving the girl a hug. "How was your recovery? Good?" She asked gently. Caddesca was surprised by the hug, blinking at the girl in confusion. "I guess..." Caddesca trailed off. "Maeve, I asked about Chewie." Han reminded the rebel, approaching the two of them.

Maeve frowned, remembering. "Right!" She said. "I checked on him. The fuzzball is fine." The woman assured him. Han gave her a look,"Only I can call him that." He reminded her. Maeve rolled her eyes at him, giving him a smile. Caddesca narrowed her eyes, not recalling a moment when she had seen the woman smile but she knew it looked familiar to her somehow.

"We can go get him right now if you're so worried. The briefing is starting soon anyway." Maeve said before looking at Caddesca. "Are you coming... rebel?" The woman asked, eying the girl's attire. Caddesca looked down at herself, knowing that after she changed from her slave clothes she looked like one of them.

 _Rebel_.

It was odd thinking herself as one. But it couldn't hurt to try.

"I'm coming." Caddesca nodded her head, showing a small smile. "Welcome to the team." Han patted the girl's back with a chuckle. He looked around,"Try not to die." Han probably saw it as helpful advice but Maeve shook her head at him the second she noticed it had made Caddesca uncomfortable. "What'd I do?" He asked her while Maeve just shook her head again.

* * *

"Chewie!" Han exclaimed as he was reunited with the wookiee. Chewie greeted his friend, standing up from the medical bed. The tall and furry creature approached the smuggler, pulling him into a hug. "Chewie– Chewie! Not again... not so tight!" Han tried to tell him but only got fur stuck in his mouth. He coughed as Chewie released him from his embrace. Han chuckled lightly,"You've got to stop doing that, pal." He scolded.

Caddesca and Maeve smiled at the scene the two caused in the medical bay. Other medics had stopped to take notice as well, including the head medic. "Good to see he's much calmer now." The head medic let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. Caddesca turned her heads towards him, catching sight of his eyes.

He had such familiar blue eyes.

She started to realize how much her dream scared her. She wanted to question all of it but she could barely form the pieces together.

"Careful now, doctor. You're beginning to sound like you have a heart." Maeve teased the man with a smirk. He furrowed his brows, looking over at the redhead. "Were you beginning to think I didn't, Miss Tyree?" The medic inquired, approaching her with a playful smile. She crossed her arms over her chest,"You know me, Val. You know what I think of you." She reminded. "I do." Val smirked before leaning in, kissing her gently.

Maeve smiled into the kiss before pulling away. "Buckethead." She told him. "Rebel scum." He winked at her.

"I thought you said you wanted to keep things professional in the medical bay." Maeve recalled, using the exact phrase he had used. Val shook his head at her,"Doesn't sound like me." He joked. Maeve narrowed her eyes,"Really? Because to me, it sounds like the exact same boring person I fell in love with." She pointed out.

He rolled his eyes,"And how about the exact same reckless person I fell in love wth? Has she gotten any new scratches I need to take care of?" He asked. Maeve shook her head,"I managed not to take any blaster shots this mission actually. Disappointing, I know. You know how much I love my scars." She said jokingly. Val nodded his head,"I do." He sighed, looking past her for the first time since she had arrived back in the medical bay.

Val took notice of an unfamiliar person. He extended his hand to Caddesca,"Valence Fayar." He introduced. She was surprised by the gesture, having not seen it in a long time. She smiled, reaching out to shake his head. "Caddesca Racca." She told him. "You can call me Val if you'd like." He told her. Caddesca nodded,"I don't really have nickname myself." The girl admitted, a little embarrassed.

The man shook his head at her,"That's not a bad thing. Let's see... I mean, if you want– Caddesca... how about... Caddy." He finally landed on a nickname.

A memory came rushing back to her at the nickname. It wasn't new to her but she hadn't heard it in years. She remembered where she first heard it though, recognizing she had repressed the memory in order to make her years in slavery easier. "My older sister used to call me that." She recalled, frowning sadly. Maeve reached out, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry... if your family is out there, you'll find them. The galaxy isn't as big as it seems." Maeve told her.

But Caddesca couldn't help but believe that it was.

* * *

"Are you sure I'm allowed to be in there?" Caddesca asked as she approached the main briefing room with Maeve and Leia. Han and Chewie followed closely behind them. "Not to worry, you're a guest of a princess." Leia informed, looking behind her shoulder to assure the girl. Caddesca's eyes went wide,"You're a princess?" She asked. Maeve chuckled,"I'm surprised this is the first you're hearing about it." She remarked.

Leia sent her a look. "We both know it's nothing but a title. I'm a diplomat before anything else." She clarified to Caddesca. Maeve raised a brow,"I would argue you're a rebel before anything else." She pointed out. Leia shook her head at her, chuckling. "I'm a rebel because I'm a diplomat." She reminded. It was how she started out but Leia knew she was passionate about this because she knew it was the right thing to do.

Caddesca agreed with the sentiment, smiling.

The three of them took a seat as other rebels began piling into the main briefing room. Han looked around, noticing an old friend in the crowd with a new insignia on his chest. "Well, look at you, a general, huh?" Han questioned, clearly amused as Lando approached. Lando sent him a smile,"Well, someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the battle of Taanab." The man guessed, already knowing he was right.

"Well, don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were looking for somebody to lead this crazy attack." Han commented, looking around the room. "I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it." Lando said. Han sent him a smirk as he went to sit down next to Leia,"Well, who says they didn't? But I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?" He joked.

Mon Mothma took the room's attention, making everyone fall silent as she faced them. They knew to respect her. She was the leader of the Rebel Alliance after all. "The Emperor has made a critical error and the time for our attack has come." She revealed, causing a stir in the room. The woman turned on a holographic model of the new Death Star near the Endor moon. "The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station. We also know that the weapon systems of this Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial Fleet spread throughout the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But most important of all... we've learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of this Death Star." She informed.

The woman looked around the room,"Many Bothans died to bring us this information." Mon Mothma confessed, looking sorrowful for a second before passing on. "Admiral Ackbar, please." She gestured.

Ackbar approached,"You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest Moon of Endor. Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield, which is generated from the nearby forest Moon of Endor." He explained, the hologram showing a visual of his words. "The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted. Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor." Ackbar finished, shutting off the holographic project.

He looked over at Lando,"General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack." Ackbar mentioned. "Good luck." Han told his friend. Lando narrowed his eyes at Han's sarcastic tone, looking over at him. "You're gonna need it." Han said simply.

"General Madine." Ackbar called upon the man and Madine moved forward. "We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator." Madine informed. "Sound dangerous." C-3PO spoke up. Leia leaned over to Han,"I wonder who they found to pull that off." She told him.

The smuggler frowned, remembering he hadn't told her yet. Before he had to chance to explain, Han was cut off. "General Solo, is your strike team assembled?" Madine questioned. Leia was surprised, mostly because she never expected him to volunteer for that kind of mission. "Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle." Han explained. Chewie raised his arm up, waving with a growl. Han looked over,"Well, it's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't want to speak for you." He told the wookie. Chewie growled at him, making Han smile. "That's one." He said, looking over at Madine.

"That's two." Maeve spoke up with a smile.

"General, count me in." Leia gave Han a look he recognized and he grinned at him.

"I'm with you too!"

People turned their heads as Luke Skywalker entered the room. Leia was quick to stand up on her feet, reaching for the boy as he approached her. She brought Luke into a warm embrace before pulling away, sensing a change in him. "What is it?" She asked him. Luke looked at her,"Ask me again sometime." He told her. Luke was hesitant about telling her the truth, especially since he wasn't sure if Leia would believe him. But he knew it. As soon as he realized it, he knew it was true.

Han stood up,"Luke." He greeted the boy, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Hi, Han... Chewie." Luke smiled, looking at the wookiee behind Han. Luke looked at his other companions,"Lando. Maeve." He greeted, noticing the two of them.

Luke's eyes finally fell on the person who was waiting for him to notice her. Caddesca met his gaze, earning a smile from him. "What do you say, Caddesca? Are you with us?" He asked softly and extended his hand towards her, hoping she would say yes.

* * *

She was walking away from him faster than he could catch up.

"Caddesca! Caddesca!" Luke called, wanting it to be enough to stop her but he knew his words wouldn't do much. He could try something else but something told him not to use the force against her. It would only frighten and push her further away from him.

"Please." He tried again. This time, something in his voice got her to stop. Caddesca halted, facing away from Luke. She was terrified of turning around, knowing that part of her trusted him enough to let her convince her to do this. But she didn't want to do this. She just wanted to go home. "Luke... I can't." She spoke honestly as she finally turned around to face him.

His eyes met hers, understanding her hesitation. It was one he once had.

Luke held out his hand to her once again,"I know you're scared... just talk to me. Maybe I could help you." He managed to persuade her to take a few steps forward. Caddesca eyed his hand and frowned at him. "I barely know you." She argued with him, still hesitant. "Then get to." Luke told her.

The boy chuckled a little,"I'm not that scary, am I?" He asked, making her smile. Caddesca shook her head at him,"You're not." She replied. Luke looked at his hand before looking back at her,"You can trust me, Caddesca. I promise you." Luke spoke firmly. Caddesca frowned sadly,"I already told Leia... I am tired of promises." She remarked. His eyes softened at the sorrowful look on her face.

"How about an agreement then?" Luke suggested.

She furrowed her brows in surprise. She hadn't expected him to say that. "What kind of agreement?" Caddesca questioned, narrowing her eyes.

Luke knew it was a risk.

He was still young and unsure of his capabilities. Luke had managed to become a jedi knight, Yoda had confirmed that for him, but he wasn't sure he could ever be a jedi master like Obi-Wan. Not to mention, Luke wasn't sure if he was powerful enough to face his father.

Darth Vader.

"If I trust you... you have to trust me." Luke said carefully, his hand still held out to her. Caddesca shook her head at him quickly,"You don't have to trust me, Luke–" She began to argue but Luke cut her off. "It's the only way I'm going to get you to trust me. I know it." He was completely determined and she knew she couldn't talk him out of it. "Take my hand." He instructed.

Caddesca was still hesitant but she reached her hand out and took his head.

All of her breath suddenly escaped her.

* * *

 _Blue and red lightsabers clashed against each other._

 _A fight._

 _But he was no match for the likes of Darth Vader._

 _The sith swung his lightsaber, cutting off Luke's hand, making the boy scream in pain._

 _"There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you." His voice was dark. Inhuman._

 _"Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy." Vader was trying to persuade him._

 _He had the opportunity to kill Luke but he wasn't._

 _Why?_

 _"I'll never join you!" Luke shouted, barely hanging on._

 _Vader was growing frustrated. "If you only knew the power of the dark side." He squeezed his fist tightly. "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."_

 _Luke frowned,"He told me enough! He told me you killed him." He spat out, glaring at Vader._

 _"No." Vader spoke. "I am your father."_

* * *

"Your father... is Darth Vader?" She stumbled the words out, barely believing them to be true. Luke nodded his head slowly,"Yes... it's true." He confirmed. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. "Your father is Darth Vader?!" Caddesca exclaimed, concerning him. "Keep your voice down." Luke begged, his eyes searching the frigate to see if anyone heard her.

He let out a breath of relief when he realized no one had.

Caddesca looked down, seeing her hand was still in his. Slowly, she moved her hand away. "You– you shouldn't have trusted me. You were wrong to." She told him. Luke was surprised by her comment. He could see that she didn't think very highly of herself but never imagine it would be this bad. "Caddesca– I believe in you. Please, believe in me." He begged of her.

But it was evident that he hadn't gotten through to her.

She turned on her heel, trying to leave once again. "I thought we had an agreement." Luke stated, getting her to stop. Caddesca looked over her shoulder at him,"I never agreed to anything." She reminded him.

He frowned at her,"Talk to me, please. I can help you, Caddesca. I know you don't like promises but– I _promise_ you." Luke kept trying to convince her, never losing hope once. She was almost impressed. Caddesca looked at him gently but shook her head. "I can't." She insisted.

"I feel it too." Luke finally said, getting through to her.

"What you're feeling now... I feel it too." He explained.

The girl debated for a moment before meeting his eyes once again. "I don't know what you're talking about." She whispered the lie. Luke studied her, taking a step closer to her. "What you saw... you would have never been able to see it if you didn't feel it." He explained. Caddesca's eyes were wide as she stared at his face. "I'm frightened." The girl confessed.

"You don't have to be." Luke told her. "Please, Caddesca... trust me." He pleaded.

She saw no dishonesty in his eyes. Luke had given her no reason not to trust him. But somehow part of her knew that if she allowed herself to trust him, her life would change forever. Caddesca took a step closer to him, leaving them only inches apart from one another. "I want to trust you, Luke. If you only knew– if you knew how long I've waited for someone I could trust again–" She stopped the moment she felt tears in her eyes.

Luke looked at her gently,"Caddesca..." He breathed out. "I know I am not asking something that is easy. But I'm going to ask this of you anyways because– because you're– _different_." Luke said, not finding the right word for it. Caddesca almost laughed at him,"Different?" She questioned. Luke smiled sheepishly at her,"It's not a bad thing." He barely recovered but still managed a warm smile from her.

"How about another agreement then?" Caddesca suggested, surprising the boy. He nodded immediately after, however. "Yes." Luke answered, eager to make that connection with her. "When I do trust you... you'll know." She whispered to him. Luke met her eyes,"When?" He asked, almost teasing her. She hid a smile from him. "Don't flatter yourself." Caddesca warned him. He let out a light chuckle,"I'll try not to." Luke promised.

The pair were interrupted shortly after. "Is she coming?" Maeve questioned, appearing at Luke's side. Luke then suddenly realized how close he was standing to Caddesca and cleared his throat, taking a step back and bumping into Maeve. The redhead sent him a weird look, deciding to ignore his embarrassment. "Are you coming?" She asked again but this time looked right at Caddesca.

Caddesca's mouth opened but no noise came out. She was still nervous and unsure but found herself nodding her head.

"I'll come." She decided, immediately regretting her decision.

* * *

Maeve helped Caddesca into the camouflage poncho that had been selected for this mission. The goal was to best disguise themselves when they reached the forest moon but Caddesca didn't see the point of herself wearing one. She frowned,"Is this absolutely necessary? I'm green." It was the easiest explanation Caddesca could find but it didn't seem to be working.

"If I have to wear the poncho– if Luke has to wear it– if Leia has to wear it– we _all_ wear it." Maeve stated firmly, adjusting the poncho on Caddesca before putting on her own. Caddesca watched as the other woman got changed, still clearly bothered by the new dress code. "Do I have to come?" Caddesca asked quickly which made Maeve frown. Luke already had warned her about Caddesca's nerves and made her promise she would take care of them. "You already said you would." Maeve pointed out, hoping it was enough to shut her up.

It wasn't.

"But am I completely necessary–" "Caddy." The voice of a man cut her off and Maeve was grateful. She was even more grateful when she turned around to realize the one who cut her off was Val. Maeve was surprised, knowing he rarely gave her goodbyes that were public as the docking bay they were in. But to be fair, she hadn't gotten a chance to visit him privately before she left.

She took a step towards the medic,"Came to say goodbye?" She asked him with a playful smile. Caddesca watched as Val approached Maeve, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I always hate it when you say that." He let his eyes close gently, pressing his forehead against Maeve's. "I came to say that I'll see you soon." Val whispered to her. Maeve closed her eyes, leaning down to kiss the slightly shorter man.

The woman pulled away, opening her eyes again. "You don't have to always act like you're never going to see me again." She mentioned. Val rolled his eyes,"Forgive me for fearing the worst." He sighed. Maeve softened her gaze,"I don't mind. Keeps me in check." She assured her. Maeve touched his face gently,"Save a kiss for me when I get back, okay?" She told him. Val nodded his head firmly, moving his hands away from her. "When you get back... can we continue our talk about–" "Not now, Valence." Maeve stopped him, frowning.

He nodded his head, understanding her avoidance. "Good luck." Val told her before letting her get onto the ship.

Caddesca followed after Maeve in a hurry. "What's the talk about?" Her curiosity was hard for her to fight but unfortunately, Maeve didn't seem to appreciate it. "It's none of your business." Maeve told her. Caddesca tried sending her a soft look,"Please." She asked. Maeve looked over at the girl, cursing underneath her breath. "It's nothing. Val– he and I– we... we had a disagreement." Maeve said simply. Caddesca sent her a look,"It sounds like more than just a disagreement." She pointed out.

"He– he wants children." Maeve admitted and Caddesca blinked, coming to realization. "You don't." It was a presumption but Caddesca knew she was right. Maeve nodded her head a little,"Look at the world we live in. You should understand this more than anyone. The galaxy... it isn't safe. Not when there are people out there like the Emperor and Darth Vader. As long as the Empire rules the galaxy– I don't wish to bring a child into this world if they will only suffer the same scars I have." She explained.

"You've suffered?" Caddesca asked quietly. Maeve looked at her with sad eyes,"My mother was a strong woman. She was kind of like you. She feared conflict. She wanted to be peaceful but something in her nature wouldn't allow her to be. She started training for something important. But then she met my father and decided to leave her training, never becoming what she had spent her life trying to become. My father was a brave man. When the time came, he wanted to join the fight and my mother supported him. She never imagined it would cost him his life. After he died, she swore to continue the fight for him. However, in the end... all of this took too much out of her. Her heart grew weak and I lost her in an instant." She recounted.

She blinked back tears, lowering her gaze from Caddesca. "It was recent, wasn't it?" Caddesca questioned, hoping she wasn't prying. Maeve nodded her head slowly. "Yeah." The woman confirmed. "A little over a year ago. She was young too. I was all she had and she was all I had. I was left alone when she died. Val... he was there for me. But– I... I can't imagine what was going through my mother's head when she met my father. Did she know that she was going to give everything up to be with him? She left her entire life for him... for me. I can't figure out how she was able to do that." Maeve confessed.

Caddesca thought it over. "Like you said... she was strong." She recalled with a small smile. Maeve chuckled at the girl's response, appreciating it more than she herself knew. "I wished Val could understand. He doesn't know much about families. He never really had one. But he looks at our friends and I don't know– wishes for something... more. My friend Shara has a son. He's cute. Val and I met him and ever since..." Maeve shook her head. Caddesca reached out her hand, patting the woman's shoulder. "I understand." Caddesca told her.

Maeve met her eyes, believing her completely. "I honestly don't know how you can." She said sincerely. Luke entered the ship, interrupting them. C-3PO and R2D2 followed closely behind them. Luke smiled at Caddesca and she smiled back. "I don't know either... but I'm beginning to think I'll learn to." Caddesca said, looking back at Maeve. Maeve grinned at the girl,"Come on, let's take a seat." She directed. Leia was the next to enter the ship, along with Chewie.

It wasn't long before the leader of their mission and pilot showed up. Han entered the cockpit, eying the control panel. "You got her warmed up?" Han questioned as Luke was starting up the ship's engine. "Yeah, she's coming up." He confirmed. Chewie took a seat in the co-pilot seat, moaning a complaint.

"No. I don't think the Empire had wookies in mind when they designed her, Chewie." Han told his furry companion as he sat in the pilot's seat of the imperial shuttle. Han's eyes difted outside the ship however to the Millennium Falcon in the distance. He knew he could trust his ship with Lando but the man still felt uneasy. He ddn't even notice when Leia put her hand on his shoulder. "Hey." Leia said sweetly, gaining his attention. "You awake?" She joked.

Han nodded his head,"Yeah, I just got a funny feeling. Like I'm not gonna see her again." He said, referring to his beloved ship. Chewie barked, looking out at the Falcon as well. "Come on, General, let's move." Leia told him, pulling him back to reality. "Right. Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready, everybody?" Han asked. Luke looked around, making sure if everyone was ready for the mission.

Luke did up his seatbelt,"All set." He said, looking at the droids. R2D2 beeped in confirmation as well. "Here we go again." C-3PO lamented. Han flew the ship out of the docking bay, preparing for lightspeed. "Alright, hang on." He told the group before the ship jumped into lightspeed.


End file.
